I seem to have an issue with feeding my guppies. They're so fast, and so little, I put a pinch in the tank, just a little drop.. and the next thing I know they've ballooned up and look ready to explode. So I fed them this morning after fasting for a day cause they were all fat, came home, and all five were huge, the smallest one floating belly up, fatter then the rest of em. I just can't seem to get the right amount for them. I think what made it worse, was I decided to try those Hikari extra tiny pellets for tiny tropical fish, and the things are so small, I think that I need more then I actually need. I feel horrible. Poor lil guy.

Maybe try soaking the tiny pellets and see how much they expand. That will give you a better idea of how much to feed. Soaking will also help your guppies digest the food, too, since it won't expand in their stomachs.

I believe it would be best to err on the side of underfeeding at each feeding and give them maybe three or four tiny feedings per day

So sorry about your fish Sandy. I know that sometimes I get a little "heavy handed" at feeding them myself-I think it comes from owning Goldfish Piggies! Touch of sky is right though,cut down each feeding-even though it looks like a tiny amount to you.I find that in the long run that they seem much healthier.Truthfully,I feed mine twice a day although sometimes I do forget that 2nd one.

Thats the problem though. I keep *thinking* that I'm underfeeding, but apparently I'm not. I have to go check on the other four now see how they're doing this morning. Oy.

you WONT underfeed them. please look at it this way, they are like goldfish except that they just breed a lot. dont make the same mistake next time! cheers.

As Raith mentioned, you would have a very hard time underfeeding If you only have four guppies, then just a tiny pinch per feeding.

I haven't seen the size of the tiny pellets you are feeding, but for four guppies I would say give them about 10-12 of the pellets total per feeding (that is for ALL four), and try soaking them first.

the older the guppy however, the longer they can go without food. i particularly use flakes. theyre easier to feed and everyone eats it.

I use a mixture of stuff. But mostly the tiny micro pellets. Itty bitty. Like grains of sand, almost. Ahh, I gave them about 7 tonight. First time since yesterday morning I've fed them. They're just about down to normal size. I feel so retarded when I do this stuff.

Don't be hard on yourself. Fishkeeping is a learning experience and we all make mistakes at one time or another

is it a JUST FRY tank or is it a tank with fry/adults ? usually if you feed that much, adults would snatch some of the food, too. but if its fry only, then 7 is too much. but of course, this DEPENDS on how many guppies you have.

do this. feed ONE of these 'micro pellets' a time okay? but, feed it 7times a DAY.

that way they got time to poop and restart. this will allow them to grow faster and be active. but dont feed 7pellets at a time.. it seems a lot to me.

No they're all adults. All male fancy's. I don't need no babies floatin around. Still learnin. 7 times a day. Thats kind of difficult when you work. One itty bitty pellet for four guppies? The thing is like a piece of salt.

well. limit it or work with it. such as. 2pellet a time. but dont feed them all the time.

I've never fed them all the time. Once a day. And it seems kind of wrong to drop one or two pellets in a tank for four fish and have them fight it out for whichever two get to eat at that particular time.

I think I know the size of pellet you are talking about. I have some little betta pellets that are just like bits of sand, too. I think you should stick with the idea of putting in about 2-3 pellets per fish per feeding. I would feed them more than once per day, at least twice.

Also, you can vary their diet a bit with some guppy flakes. Guppies also like freeze dried tubifex.

im trying to grind baby shrimp. need a good idea though lol cause these are in the freezer and their bodies became.. rubberbandy.

It might be easier to shave off tiny pieces when they are frozen.

yeah. true. ive got to try it sometimes, having hard time with grinding up flakes already.